The Genius's Dilemma
by Iama Sipe
Summary: This is a story based on the character Reid, who os being chased by gang members who for some odd reason want him dead. Hotch, Morgan, and the rest of the team is worried. Will they be able to stop the gang before it's too late? Find out in this fanfiction of mine! Hope you enjoy. By the way this story WILL NOT be slash. Also I do not own "Criminal Minds" or any of the characters
1. A Nightmare Coming True

Reid looked at the plate of food he had in front of him. It seemed very inedible at that particular moment in time. He was too lost in thought to eat. The case over the past few days had taken it out of him and the fact that he hadn't been sleeping very well didn't help. He moved food around on the plate with his fork in hopes his teammates would think he had actually eaten something that way. It was then he realized he was being spoken to.

"Reid? Reid are you okay?" He heard Elle's voice ask. Looking up he saw a lot of concerned faces looking back at him.

"Yeah guys I'm fine. Just a little tired I guess. You know from the case today. I gonna go to the hotel and turn in. Night guys." Reid then proceeded to get up, grab his bag, and walk out of the restaurant. After he was gone Morgan looked at his plate.

"The kid didn't eat a thing off thing off there." He said. Morgan was getting concerned over the past few weeks. Reid just wasn't himself.

"What has been up with him?" Elle asked.

"Maybe the job's just getting to him. It happens to us all." Gideon said, continuing to stare at the mixed up plate of food Reid had left.

"Yeah Gideon but he's had problems like that before and he acted nothing like this." JJ said. She was also worried about Reid. She thought of him as a little brother and couldn't stand to see him in the mood he had been in.

Gideon shrugged his shoulders at her comment. "Alright lets all go to bed." Hotch said and everyone proceeded to get up and head to the Hotel.

Meanwhile, Reid was already in the room he was sharing with Morgan getting ready for bed. He laid down in his bed and sighed. Another night of restlessness was just what he needed at that point in time. It didn't help that Morgan would be in the same room as him. During his nightmares he tended to yell and It was pretty unnerving to think Morgan might hear that.

When Morgan finally walked in, Reid looked over and said, "Hey is everyone back?"

"Yeah we all decided to head back here a little while after you left." Morgan responded and laid down in his own bed.

There was silence between the two for a long time before Morgan said, "Reid I'm your friend and you know if something's bothering you its okay to tell me about it."

Reid groaned. He knew this would happen eventually but he wasn't wanting it to happen so soon. "Look Morgan It's really nothing. I've just been having weird dreams." He said.

"You're sure about that?" Morgan asked skeptically.

"Yes Morgan I'm sure! They're just nightmares!" Reid snapped at his friend.

Morgan quickly withdrew and left the kid alone. He knew he shouldn't push it too much. For Reid, the fact was that they weren't actually nightmares, but a nightmare. It was the same one each night and it was beginning to scare him. His mother had always said that recurring nightmares meant that whatever happened in that nightmare would happen to you in real life. Since Reid was just a boy he'd believed that, even though he was more a man of science. The night mare was terrifying, although it didn't start out that way. He would be walking in a dark alley type of place, then start to feel like he was being followed. He'd start walking faster, then running when he sensed something behind him. All of a sudden, he'd be cornered be a lot of mean looking gang bangers. But right as they were about to do something, he'd always wake up from the sheer terror of the dream. Reid shuddered just thinking about the dream. Then he figured he might as well try and sleep.

It wasn't like he had anything better to do. It seemed like not ten minutes later he woke up yelling "Please stop!" and in a cold sweat. Morgan jumped and sat straight up in bed.

"Kid what's wrong?" He asked. Reid shook his head and said,

"Just a nightmare…that's all." Morgan was getting scared for the kid. He'd never acted like this before and honestly it was scaring the hell out of Morgan.

"Kid?…I can't stand to see you like this…I don't want to pry or upset you but this seems more serious than 'Just a nightmare'." Morgan said.

Reid sighed and said, "Morgan you don't need to worry. I'm telling you I'm fine. I'm going for a walk."

"Kid we're in the middle of LA and it's 12:30 in the morning!" Morgan said.

"I won't go far I promise I just need to clear my head." Reid said rapidly and was out the door. He walked down the streets quickly and thought about the weird dream. "Why is this happening to me?" He thought. Then he saw a particularly large man standing not to far up ahead, so he headed down an alley next to him. He went for about ten minutes then came to a junk yard that was fenced in. "Great." He said. That's when he felt a chill go down his spine…like he was being watched. He started to hyperventilate and try to find a way out of the yard. It was no use. The gate was locked and climbing would take way to long. He flipped open his cell phone but there was no service. "Damnit!" He said to himself. Then he froze. There was somebody behind him. He ran back the way he'd came but was stopped in the middle of the alley he'd come through by a group of men who looked to be gang bangers. He opened his cell phone again. Still no service.

"This is a dead zone. There'll be no help from that." One of the tattooed men said.

"Please don't!" Reid said in a shaky voice as one of them pulled out a switch blade.

"That's what they all say." The guy with the knife said.

Reid dropped his cell phone and went for the gun at his…belt? "Crap!" he yelled, realizing his gun was the one thing he'd forgotten. The gang bangers laughed and then came at Reid. Only this time there would be no waking up from the terrible dream. The others held him down and punched him until he became too weak to struggle. Then, just when he thought it was over, he felt the blade cut seep into his stomach. Reid screamed and they laughed.

"Come on boys. This one won't last." Then there was the sound of feet running, and they were gone. Reid was cold and slipping into darkness.

"At least I'm not in pain." He thought to himself. His dream had been all to accurate, but this time it was all too real.


	2. The Other Side of Hotch

**Hey guys this is a short chapter but I think It gets the point across alright. Hope you ebjoy it and thanks for the reviews on the last chapter! ~ Iama Sipe**

Morgan glanced at the clock. It was 2:35am and Reid still wasn't back. He was beginning to worry about the kid. After all like he'd told him they were in LA and it was still dark out. Morgan saw only one thing he could do. He pulled out him phone, and dialed Hotch's number. It rang and rang

"Come on." Morgan said to the phone. Then to his relief, he heard a voice on the other end of the line.

"Hotchner." The voice said.

"Hotch, Reid left two hours ago and isn't back yet. I'm starting to get worried about him." Morgan said and hoped Hotch wouldn't excuse it as not Important.

He waited and waited until finally, after what seemed like ten minutes Hotch said, "Why did he leave?" And he actually sounded genuinely concerned.

"He said he said he needed to clear his head and then just left." Morgan explained.

"And you let him?" Hotch asked.

"I figured he wouldn't go too far. Do you think we should look for him?" Morgan was getting more worried by the second.

"I'll call the others. Just wait out in the parking lot and we'll split up." Hotch said and before Morgan could even say "Okay", he hung up. Morgan did as he was told and waited In the parking lot. Before long the whole team was rushing about, splitting into teams, and heading off to look for their youngest member. The girls JJ and Elle went together, Gideon said he'd drive around on his own and look, and Morgan went with Hotch. While walking around, Morgan began to feel a bit guilty. He should have gone with Reid. Now as he and Hotch walked along the sidewalk, glancing in every direction, he was worried his mistake might have just cost Reid his life.

Meanwhile, Reid was still lying in the alley, struggling to stay awake. He felt no pain, but he knew he was loosing blood fast, and that it wouldn't be long before he would be gone. It was cold…very cold, and his body felt numb. As he lifted his hand limply from his stomach, he saw the terrible sight of the blood covering it. And though everything was kind of blurry and coming in and out of focus, he could see his front was all red. It was getting harder and harder to pull in a full breath and Reid couldn't move at all. That's when he heard it. The familiar voices Morgan and Hotch. They sounded far away, but he knew it was them all the same.

"Reid!" He heard Morgan say, and then heard footsteps come up next to him. "Hotch! Hotch!" Morgan yelled. There was another pair of feet that ran over and then both men kneeled down next to Reid. Hotch's face didn't show it, but he was horrified by the sight before him. Reid was covered in blood and there were bruises all over his face.

"Morgan call and ambulance." He said.

Morgan flipped open his phone and said , "God damnit! Hotch there's no signal here!" "Then find signal!" Hotch yelled. Morgan ran off to find signal, while Hotch stayed beside the injured and very weak looking Reid.

"H-Hotch." Reid said in a barely audible and somewhat strained whisper.

"It's okay. Just be still." Hotch told the younger man, trying to keep his tough guy act going for Reid's sake.

"Hotch…a-am I going to…t-to…" He Didn't finish the sentence but Hotch knew exactly what Reid was about to ask.

"Don't say anything Reid. You're going to be just fine." Hotch said. Still trying to resist the urge to freak over the whole incident. He took Reid's cold, limp hand to comfort him. A trickle of blood came from a gash on Reid's forehead. He sighed and asked Hotch,

"W-will you stay with m-me?" Hotch's throat closed up. The only time his team had ever seen him cry was when Haley died. Now he his eyes were threatening to let the team see that side of their unit chief again. That's when he heard an ambulance approaching.

"Reid it's okay they're here. Just hang on." He said. Reid's eye's were getting droopy, and his breaths were getting raspier by the minute. When he didn't respond, Hotch yelled, "Reid! Snap out of it! That's an order!"

"Just..stay." Were Reid's last words, before his eyes closed and darkness overtook him.


	3. The Not Knowing is the Worst

**Hello everyone. Thanks for the reviews on the last chapter. I honestly though nobody would read this! I have a personal shout out to make as well.**

**Judithya88- I realize that both Elle and Gideon were gone when Hotch's wife was killed and that it didn't really make sense. I praise you for noticing. However I actually did it on purpose. I wanted Gideon and Elle to be in my story. After all fan fiction can turn out however you want can it not? ^_^ But again that is great you caught it! :D**

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Hotch paced in the waiting room, waiting for the word on Reid. He had been rushed into surgery as soon as they arrived at the hospital. Dealing with Haley's death only a few months before was rough and he wasn't ready to deal with Reid's now. He was unable to forget Reid's final words to him before he passed out. "Just…stay." The kid had been scared and wanted Hotch to stay with him. It was almost more than Hotch could take. After all his wall had been broken down and was under repair since Haley died.

Morgan was angry with himself for letting that happen to Reid. How could he have just let him go out by himself like that? It was stupid of him and he would feel guilty forever if Reid didn't make it. Just like he'd felt guilty when his father died. He hadn't been able to protect him. Though he was only ten at the time, guilt was the top emotion he felt after his dad's death.

Elle was worried about him. She knew what it was like to be at the mercy of somebody like that. On the Rebecca Bryant case some years back she had been shot and she remembered feeling so weak lying there while he used her blood to write the word, "Rules" on the wall of her apartment. After that Elle was scarred, and more or less went off the deep end. She had planned to kill a man who was raping women. It would have cost her her job. Luckily Hotch saw the signs, and got her help before she made the mistake she would've regretted forever. She now wondered what Reid's mental state would be if he made it through this.

JJ was just dazed and had been crying. She didn't know what she'd do if she lost Spence. It would be like loosing Will or Henry. She just didn't know. It had been quite awhile since she'd lost anyone important to her, but she could just imagine what it would be like. Spence was the youngest, and she'd always been protective over him. She knew he had a crush on her when she first joined the BAU, but Will had gotten there first. She smiled to herself, remembering the redskins game they had gone to. Reid had been so oblivious to what was going on. Then she started to tear up again, knowing that the memories would be all she had left if they lost him.

Gideon sat in a chair silently. He hated these murderers so much. When Sarah had been killed he had seriously thought about quitting. Thankfully he'd talked himself out of it. He still remembered Sarah's death. It was burned into his brain. He couldn't have Reid's burned there as well. Then he would surely go crazy and that would be the end of his career.

The doctor walked out then, and they all stood up. "Are you Spencer Reid's family?" She asked.

"Yes." They all said in unison. Everyone was waiting for good news. Nobody wanted to think about what the doctor might say. They held their breath.

"He's out of surgery. It's up to him now whether he makes it through the night. We will just have to wait. It's a miracle he made it this far. They cut his stomach open pretty badly. You can go in and see him but Only one person will be allowed to stay with him overnight in the recovery room." She said. It wasn't actually the news the team had been waiting for but they were all pretty glad their genius was alive for the most part.

Walking into the recovery room, they could see Reid lying in the hospital bed with a breathing mask on and a lot of machines hooked up to him. They were all quiet as mice, just staring at him as if he might stop breathing at any moment.

"So who's gonna stay with him?" Elle asked, looking around. She defiantly wasn't going to start a fight over who stayed. She didn't want to stay in the room. If she did she'd never get any sleep. Not that she would anyway but it'd be worse if she slept in the room with Reid.

"I'll stay with him. You guys can all finish working the case and then come back here alright?" Hotch asked his team. They all looked hesitant but then nodded in agreement. They all knew they had to finish up the other case before jumping to Reid's.

"Could I just have a moment?" Gideon asked, gesturing towards Reid. Hotch nodded at him and then he was left alone in the room with the kid he cared so much about. "You know for being so smart, this wasn't one of your best moves. I just hope you aren't in too much pain." Gideon said, just looking at Reid, who at the moment, seemed very fragile. To Gideon it was much like a swallow egg. The shells, so very breakable, but inside, a living thing just fighting the thin shell to make its way out into the world. That was how Reid was right now. He was walking a very thin line between life and death. "Just hang in there Reid." Gideon said, and then left the room.

Morgan was next. They'd all decided to say something to him before leaving. So Morgan was next. He had an awful lot to get off his chest. "Hey kid." He said upon walking in. "Looks like I really ,messed up this time. I know I should have gone with you, but I didn't think…I just didn't think at all I guess. But I know you can pull through. You got through your drug addiction so this should be a walk in the park." Morgan joked in an attempt to lighten the mood. "I'm sorry kid." He said and then walked out of the room.

Elle tiptoed into the hospital room next and laid some flowers she'd ran and bought from the gift shop down on the table next to his bed. "Thought these would make you feel better." She said and just looked around. She was trying to think of something to say. "Well…this is just great isn't it?" She asked, then proceeded to say, "I want you to know that if you ever need somebody to talk to after you get out of this, I'm here. I mean you talked to me after my ordeal and I think It's high time I returned the favor. So just come to me if you need to talk." After that, she left the room hastily. She didn't like seeing Reid that way, and even more, she was afraid she'd loose it in front of the team if she stayed much longer.

JJ was the last to come in the door besides Hotch who of course would be staying with Reid. She wanted to just break down but knew it wasn't the time for that. The nurse had said she could use her phone for a short bit ti let Henry talk to Spence, even though Henry was little and wouldn't understand. So she dialed the number and waited.

"Yeah." She heard Will say on the other end of the phone. She had already called him about Reid so he was eagerly awaiting any news. "Is he gonna be alright?" Will asked.

JJ felt tears in her eyes again and said, "We don't know. I-I want Henry to talk to him a little bit if that's okay?"

"Sure I'll get him." Will said and she heard him call, "Henry Mommy and Uncle Spencer are on the phone."

A few minutes later she heard a little voice say, "Hello?"

"Hi Henry it's Mommy. Listen Uncle Spencer is sick and can't talk right now but could you talk to him and maybe try and make him feel better?" JJ asked, trying to put it in a way her young son would understand.

"Okay." Henry said.

"Alright here he is." JJ told him, putting the phone on speaker.

"Uncle Spencer? Mommy says you can't talk but that I can talk to you. Hope you get better soon. Love you bye!" Henry said. JJ was happy with that and after saying good bye to her boyfriend and son she hung up the phone. Afterwards she just rubbed Spence's forehead for a bit crying, and then walked out of the room.

Morgan had called Garcia but Hotch made her stay back at Quantico, which killed her inside. She wanted to see her Junior G-man. If only to see for herself that he was just fine. But she couldn't, so she just sat in her lonely office, awaiting any word from her team.

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After the team had left to get back on the case, Hotch just sat in the young genius's hospital room. He wasn't going to get much sleep he knew that much. So he just sat and looked at the injured team member of his. "You must have been terrified." He said, remembering Foyet and how he had just stabbed him over and over, in all of the places it would hurt but wasn't fatal. He had been very terrified in those moments, which made is all the more difficult to watch Reid in his current condition. "Who did this to you Reid?" He asked. But the young man before Hotch didn't stir.

Meanwhile while Hotch was talking to him, Reid was no longer in a state of cold numbness. He was in terrible pain and having nightmares.

_The others held him down and punched him until he became too weak to struggle. Then, just when he thought it was over, he felt the blade cut seep into his stomach. Reid screamed…_

That's when he heard a voice saying, "Reid it's okay! You're just fine!" His eyes snapped open and he looked around_. _He saw Hotch's face looking at him and realized it was only a nightmare. He groaned and put is hand over his stomach where they had cut him. It hurt to even breath.

"Hotch...where am I?" He asked.

"You're in the Hospital. Sombody attacked you and cut open your stomach. It's a miricle you're still with us." Hotch explained while Reid treid to come terms with what happened. He was ashamed of what had happened. He was also haunted by the mere rememberance of when he was attacked.

"They...they chased me down...then they all punched and kicked me." He bagan to explain.

"You don't have to talk about..." Hotch got ready to say but Reid just went on.

"I thought they were done but then they...they..." He didn't finish the sentence out of pure horror and out of the fear of the memory. But Hotch knew he was just about to say they cut him open. Anyone with eyes coul see that. And if he knew anything about these kinds of encounters, he knew this kid was in for some rough weeks ahead as he came to terms with the fact he was almost killed.

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**Well this one was a little hard to write but I hope you all enjoy it just the same. I am open to ideas for the next chapter if anyone has them. Just write the idea's in you reviews of PM me! ^_^ **


	4. Breaking Down and a Looming Darkness

Their leader paced around the floor, frustrated and wondering how this could've gone any worse. He was sure they'd killed that FBI agent. They had cut him open and left him in that alley. How had he survived?

"We have to go after him." He said to the rest of his gang. They all nodded in agreement as they watched the TV. They had been playing the story over and over. "FBI agent attacked by one of LA's infamous fangs and lives". It made The leader of the gang sick to think how horribly they'd failed. _He _was going to be so pissed off at them. They failed to kill complete this one simple task for _him_. But no matter. The leader figured he would just kill the guy off before the set deadline he'd been given. Then even if _he _saw the news he couldn't be mad. Just as long as that scrawny kid was dead, that was all that mattered.

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Reid was sleeping in the hospital bed, and Hotch was just sitting there, listening to the sound of his heart monitor beeping. He hadn't slept all night, but Reid had gone back to sleep not too long after the first time he woke up. Hotch was grateful Reid hadn't woken up screaming again. He needed his sleep.

Just then the friendly nurse that had been tending to Reid came in and said, "Sir is there anything I can get you?"

"Yeah it would be great if you could get me some coffee." Hotch said and she nodded. As she was walking out of the room he quickly asked, "Do you know when he'll be able to eat?"

She smiled in a friendly way and replied, "Well he's going to be on a strict diet of orange juice and jello for a few days. His stomach isn't so sensitive it cant handle soft food but anything to drastic will just come right back up we're afraid."

"Just wondering." Hotch said and then let the nurse leave to get his coffee. A few minutes later she came back with coffee for Hotch and a cup of orange juice for Reid when he woke up next time. Then she left again to let Hotch drink in peace. He was about half way done with the cup when he heard Reid stir. He groaned as well. "I told you to take the pain medication they offered." Hotch said and top a sip of his coffee.

"Hotch you know I won't take any pain killers from syringes." Reid said and sniffed the air. "Is that coffee?" he asked.

"Not for you. Sorry doctors orders. You have to eat jello and drink orange juice." Hotch said.

"No fair you know coffee is one of my favorite things." Reid said, trying to make a joke. In truth, he was in agony. Of course he wasn't letting Hotch know that so he just stayed still and quiet in his hospital bed. He then remembered something odd and kind of embarrassing that happened before he passed out just after he was attacked. He could barely remember anything but blurriness, but it was all coming back to him now. Hotch kneeling by him, speaking comforting words to him and holding his hand. He remembered asking something…but what was is?

"Reid are you alright?" Hotch asked him, breaking his train of thought.

"Yeah I'm okay." he lied and then said, "Hey Hotch…what did I say to you before I passed out in that alley?"

Hotch looked over at Reid and said, "You asked me to stay with you. Were you scared?" He felt bad asking so suddenly but the time seemed right.

"I was terrified Hotch." Reid said, his voice cracking as he remembered the last moments before he blacked out. "Before you and Morgan found me, I was convinced I was going to bleed to death alone in that alley. Once you did find me, I was a bit more at ease knowing I wasn't going to die all by myself. But…I was still scared. It was cold and the only thing I could see was your face. I was only thinking of my mom…" He stopped, embarrassed as warm tears started to slide down his face. Hotch reached over and placed a reassuring hand on Reid's shoulder.

"Reid you're safe now. And just for the record I wouldn't ever leave you or anyone on my team alone to die like that. Look I…when Foyet victimized me…I just wanted to forget…" Hotch paused. He wasn't good at this. Then he looked down and saw the young genius break. He started to sob more or less hysterically. "Reid it's okay." He said and tried to cal him by leaning down and giving him a hug. He hoped nobody was seeing this. Reid put his arms around Hotch and cried into his shoulder. He felt like such a baby but he needed to let it out. He couldn't just keep pretending it never happened.

"I just want to forget it." Reid sobbed. Hotch rubbed his back and tried to think of something to say, but there were not any words to describe how bad he felt for Reid. How much he wished he could make it to where it never happened. "I wish I could just go back and change last night." he continued.

"Just clam down. It's okay. Things like this happen sometimes. It will get better I promise but for now just know we're all here for you." Hotch said and let Reid lay back down. Reid cried himself to sleep and Hotch just sat there in his chair.

"Knock knock." He heard over by the door. Upon looking he saw Garcia standing there looking very tired and worried.

"How long have you been standing there? I thought I told you to stay in Quantico." Hotch said.

Garcia smiled and said, "I've been standing here long enough sir. And they wrapped up with the case. So I came here. I couldn't stay away any longer. He just looks so helpless." Hotch shook his head and gave one of his rare smiles. Garcia always knew how to brighten the mood.

"Where's the rest of the team?" Hotch asked.

"Just interrogating and doing the paperwork then they said they'd be back here. Sir…is he gonna be okay?" She asked. Hotch looked at Reid sleeping with red still around his eyes from crying.

"I don't know. I just know he'll need a lot of support for the next few weeks or more." Hotch said, still looking at Reid.

"Well for the record sir that was very sweet what you did. You're like…the father he didn't have for long." Garcia chimed and smiled at her unit chief. She knew it was embarrassing to him but Garcia wasn't one to hold back if there was something she wanted to say.

"Thanks Garcia." Hotch said a bit sarcastically.

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The leader of the gang froze in his tracks when the phone rang. The caller ID said the name of _him_. He picked up his phone slowly and flipped It open.

"Yes sir." He said and waited for a response.

"I see you failed to kill that FBI agent. I gave you one simple task and you couldn't even do that." The man on the other end said.

"I'm sorry sir we were sure he was dead. Look all we'll have to do is get him alone again and…" The gang leader started to say but was cut off.

"You fool!" the man shouted, " They'll be going back to Quantico as soon as he gets out of the hospital. Odds are he will stay with one of the team members and I bet it'll be Aaron Hotchner. I didn't want it to come to this, but here's what you're going to do…"

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**Well what did you think of that? Please please please review! Last time there weren't many and I was a bit disappointed. More reviews=faster chapter updates ;)**


	5. Is he supposed to be a sea sponge?

**Hi everyone. Sorry this chapter took so long. It was hard to write because I got writers block and had to kind of wing it. I personally hate this chapter and hope never to have to deal with or see it agian but if you guys like it right on! Hahaha! :D So i guess I'll let you go now. Thanks for the reviews on the last chapter. ENJOY!**

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A couple weeks later-Back in Quantico

Hotch walked through the door of his home and sat his and Reid's suitcases down on the ground. He was exhausted and wanted to see his son. Reid walked in behind him. Hotch was forcing Reid to stay with him until the wound on his stomach got better and he was able to go back to work.

"I still don't understand why I have to stay here." Reid complained. He was not very happy about having a more or less baby sitter. As far as he was concerned he could take care of himself perfectly fine. Even though he couldn't walk right, or squeeze very well, or pick up anything to heavy, or…alright maybe he did need somebody to help him out for awhile but that didn't mean he had to like it.

"Reid I' telling you it's not going to bother jack and I at all. In fact Jack is going to probably be happy to have a play mate at home while I'm at work." Hotch said. Reid had noticed a change in his attitude since they left the jet and all things BAU behind for the day. He was more casual and didn't act like such a drill sergeant.

"Play mate? Who says I'm going to be his play mate?" Reid asked.

"Reid he's a little boy and when we have company he likes to think they're here to play with him. Of course his baby sitter will be here to entertain him also but he's gonna be all over you." Hotch said and smiled an actual genuine smile.

"So where is Jack?" Reid asked, looking around as if he'd just pop out of nowhere anytime.

"Jessica probably took him to the park or something. They should be back soon. I'll show you your room right quick then start dinner." Hotch said, leading Reid to a room with a bed, small bathroom, and empty dresser in it. "Just make yourself at home. I'll go start dinner." He said and then left. Reid sat down on the bed and held his stomach. It was kind of sore after the long plane ride home…in fact more than kind of sore. It was a lot sore. He lifted his shirt and looked down. It took him off guard. He hadn't looked at his wound up until now and only then did he realize just how bad it was. There was a long diagonal stitched up cut from just below his rib cage on his right down to his waist on his left. He just stared at it, in a little bit of shock. He didn't even know it was that bad. Then he heard Hotch say, "Reid are you okay?" He quickly put his shirt down and spun around to see Hotch standing there.

"Yeah yeah I'm alright. Just marveling my scar I guess." Reid said and gave a fake smile and laugh. Hotch looked at him suspiciously, but shrugged it off for the kid's sake.

"Well Jack's home and I told him I'd come get you. Jessica went home but you can meet her tomorrow when I have to go to the office." Hotch explained and Reid followed him down the hallway. "Jack this is Spencer." Hotch told the little boy who was standing in front of Reid currently.

"Do you have an owie?" Jack asked and Reid nodded. "Can I see?" Jack asked his second question. Hotch flinched. He didn't want his son upsetting Reid.

"Jack I don't think that Spencer wants to…" Hotch began to say but Reid shook his head at him and put his hand up as if saying it was fine. He lifted his shirt and the little boy gasped.

"Does it hurt?" He asked. Reid nodded and Hotch just stood there. He didn't know how Reid remained so calm about the whole situation. How he could mask the pain he was feeling on the inside.

"Alright Jack time to eat. It's your favorite buddy. Macaroni and cheese with the good kind of cheese." Hotch said and jack ran to the table to sit down. "Come on Reid you don't have to wait for us to invite you. Pick a chair and sit. Then just eat as much as you want." Hotch said and again Reid couldn't help but notice how non-drill sergeant he was at home.

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That night, Reid tossed and turned in his bed. He wasn't sure how he was gonna get through his medical leave without going stir crazy. Hotch and his son were great and very nice to him, but what he really wanted was to just be home and be able to go to work, and forget that the whole thing ever happened. He pulled the blanket over his head and groaned. It was going to be a very long night.

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In the morning, things were rushed around. They ate breakfast, Hotch took a shower and got dressed, and Jack sat in his pajama's eating cereal and watching "Spongebob Squarepants". Reid looked at the TV in complete confusion as he sat down next to Jack on the couch. Hotch walked in and sat down to spend a little time with his son before work and seemed completely fine with the show unlike Reid.

"Is he supposed to be a sea sponge?" Reid asked and pointed at the screen.

"Yeah and he's a star fish," Hotch said pointing to Patrick, "He's a squid," He added pointing to squid ward, "And that's a sea snail." He finished as he pointed to Gary.

"This is really inaccurate. Sea sponges do not move." Reid said.

"It's a cartoon Reid!" said Hotch as he looked at the young genius, completely baffled by how confused he was over a cartoon. "Tell me you've watched cartoons before."

"No not really. Not these kinds of cartoons anyway." Reid explained to his boss. Hotch shook his head and looked at his watch.

"I have to go. See you both after work. Jess I'm leaving!" He called into the kitchen where Jack's baby sitter was. Then he walked out the door and headed to the BAU. Reid frowned as he heard the car start up and drive away. Oh how he wanted to be back at work. That's when Jessica came in.

"Jack go get dressed we have to drive to the store." She said and Jack hopped up to go get on some clothes. Reid had been introduced to the woman that morning so it wasn't awkward to be in the same room with her. Jack raced back down the stairs and as the two walked out the door Jessica said, "Dr. Reid I left my number on the fridge if you need anything.

"Thanks Jess." Reid said. Then he was alone in the house watching a show about a talking sea sponge. Not too long after Jack and Jessica left he heard a bang from the back of the house. Upon going to investigate, he discovered a broken flower pot that had once been sitting on a table in his guest room. He also noticed something horrifying. On the wall, written in what appeared to be either blood or really realistic fake blood were the letters "We meet again". Before Reid could act, there was a cloth over his mouth and everything was going black.

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**Alright so as I said, not my best work.** **But i hope it satisfied for now. I have a full proof plan for the next one and it will be better than this one. Please review! Like I said more reviews make me happy which makes me want to write which gets the next chapter here quicker!**


	6. Finding Hope

**Hey ya'll! Well since I'm going to be gone for a few days I decided to give you two chapters today! Lucky you! This one is better than the last in my opinion and you get to meet a new character here! Some things are also revealed and there are some clues as to who might want Reid dead. So enjoy!**

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Reid opened his eyes slowly and groaned. What had happened? One minute he was in Hotch's house, the next he was waking up in a strange place with his hands tied and his abdomen hurting really terribly. The lighting in the room was dim, and it smelt like cigarettes. He groaned again as he lifted himself up to a sitting position, then tried to stand. No luck. Not only were his hands tied behind his back, he was tied to the wall as well.

"Great." He said to himself, then looked around, trying to determine where he was. That's when he heard the yelling of a man and whimpering of a girl. Not two seconds after he heard it did a man come down the stairs dragging a young girl by the hair. He tossed her on the ground and tied her up right next to Reid, then stomped back up the stairs and slammed the door at the top. The girl sat crying and whimpering. She was also trembling like a leaf. "Are you alright?" Reid asked, scooting over next to her. She nodded and looked up at him with red puffy eyes. "What's your name?" He asked, attempting to try and calm her down. She looked no more that thirteen or fourteen and also looked very very scared.

"My name's Hope. What's yours?" She asked in a quiet voice.

"I'm Dr. Spencer Reid but if you want you can just call me Spencer or Dr. Reid." He said and smiled at the girl. She smiled back but the smile quickly disappeared when she heard the door open at the top of the stairs. A man came down and looked at Reid.

"Well well what have we here?" He said. Reid recognized the man. It was the leader of the gang from the alley where he was attacked. "It looks like you have a new friend huh pet?" He asked the girl. She cringed back and looked down, avoiding eye contact with the man. "Well he wont be here for long. The boss has something special planned for him to make sure he's dead this time." And with that he turned and left without another word, as if the soul reason he'd come down is to inform Reid they were going to kill him and to strike fear into Hope's heart.

"Hope, how long have you been here?" Reid asked the girl. Hw wondered because she looked like she never got any sun as pale as she was, her bleach blonde hair was all matted, and she appeared to have nothing on but a long brown coat. It was buttoned up as far as it would go, and the belt around the waist was tightened.

"I've been here about three and a half years I guess. I'm about fourteen now and I was eleven and a half when they took me." She said.

"Why have they kept you alive all this time?" Reid asked and as she looked at him with her wide brown eyes he understood.

"I'm their pet. They do what they want with me because they know I'll do anything to survive. It's been terrible. Sometimes…they just take turns with me and sometimes…one of them just gets bored and its only him." As she explained her situation, Reid began to feel sorry for her. More sorry than he'd previously been. She was only fourteen and these men were doing all of these sick things to her. How could this even happen? What was wrong with the world?!

"I was kidnapped a few years back by a man named Tobias Hankel." Reid began to explain. "He had three different personalities. There was one who was Tobias himself. That one drugged me. There was another named Raphael. That one made me choose people to die, and threatened to kill me if I didn't choose. Then there was Tobias's father. He was the worst. He beat me and no matter how much I begged he wouldn't. The man was without pity. Eventually I killed him but…it still haunts me to this day." Reid finished his story.

"Why are you telling me this?" Hope asked.

"I guess to show you I know what you've been going through. The pain you've been feeling. The loneliness…" He stopped there, knowing she got his point.

"You're an FBI agent aren't you?" She asked and looked at him. There was a serious look in her eyes so Reid knew she had something to say.

"Yes I am but…how did you know?" He asked her.

"A few days back when they had me in the living room. I heard a few guys talking about an FBI agent named Dr. Spencer Reid. They said somebody wanted you dead. I didn't get a name, but I know that they're the ones who are supposed to kill you for whoever it is. They failed the first time. I saw on the news. And now the guy they call 'The Boss' is coming here to finish you off himself. They also said something about an Agent Hotchner. Said killing you would be their boss's revenge on him. Do you know who that is Dr. Reid?" Hope asked at the end of her explanation.

"I…he's my boss. Hotch is my boss. But why would killing me be revenge on him? I mean he has a son why not go after him or some other team member I mean…there are more important people in his life." Reid said and started to ramble a bit.

"Well actually that was explained to. A member of the gang asked the same question and apparently the boss won't kill his son because he was already spared. I don't know what he meant by 'already spared' but it's what he said." Hope explained to a very confused and frustrated Reid.

"I don't understand." Reid said.

Upstairs there was an echo of, "Go get the girl!" and the sound of footsteps coming their way.

"Dr. Reid all of the gang members carry knives in their pockets!" Hope said quickly and Reid looked at her.

"What?" Reid asked.

"They all carry knives! If I can get swipe a knife from one of them we can cut each others ropes and maybe you can get out of here!" Hope explained in a whisper as the footsteps got closer and closer.

"That's insane Hope you can't risk your life that way!" Reid said frantically.

"Look if there's any chance for me to help you get out of here and maybe get out myself I'm taking it. Don't worry about me Dr. Reid it's you who really needs to get out of here." She said. The door came open and a man came down the steps. He untied Hope and drug her up the stairs and as he did she turned around, smiled, and winked at Reid as if to say "It'll all be fine."

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**So how was that? Good? Not so good? Give me answers here? Review please! And expect the next chapter Friday ^_^**


	7. The Great Escape

**Alright here is chapter 7! The big secret you've all been wondering about is revealed in this chapter. Who the heck is after Reid? Well get your answers here! Go on my readers! Enjoy chapter 7**

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Reid sat in the basement for what seemed to be an eternity. He was worried about Hope. After all she was only fourteen and her plan was suicide! Who knew a girl her age could be so mature and so…strong. But then who knew that these men could be so sick as to do what they were doing to a girl her age. Any minute, Reid was expecting to hear a scream or gunshot indicating she'd been caught trying to get the knife. He knew it was selfish, but she was his only way out of that place and away from the people trying to kill him. Just then he heard the door open, and one of the gangsters came down. He smiled at Reid and laughed.

"The boss has decided to pay a little visit. He wants to see you." He said and untied Reid, then yanked him up the stairs. After dragging him to the front room, the man dropped Reid. Upon looking up, he saw a guy wearing a mask…it looked familiar…it was Foyet's mask!

"You!" Reid yelled. The masked man chuckled and looked down at him.

Then the man became grave and said "You're mistaken. Who you think I am is dead. Who you think I am…is my father." Reid gasped. This guy was Foyet's son?!

"Why are you doing this? If you really are Foyet's son then you should be trying to fix up the family reputation not breaking it down again!" Reid said to him.

"My father was a great man. Your leader Hotchner was the one to blame for the events that transpired. My father did what he had to do. Killing Hotchner's wife was something he knew would inflict great pain on the man. But it backfired and now I must get revenge. I couldn't take his son. That was against the rules. My father spared the boy. So I took you instead. Wouldn't it just break Hotchner's heart if anything happened to you?" Foyet's son asked and the gang members laughed.

"That's a load of crap and you know it!" Reid yelled. Foyet's son just laughed, and signaled his men to carry Reid back down the stairs.

"I'll be down to finish the job soon. Until then…here!" He yelled and kicked reid in the face. He yelled loudly and then they took him away and tied him back up. The young genius was scared. What were the odds that this would ever happen. This was Foyet's son! He just prayed that Hope would make it back in time with the key.

* * *

Hope pulled her coat back on and the gang member watched her. She watched him, waiting for him to look away just once. The knife was in the pocket of his jacket, which was still lying on the ground. Then, she heard a yell coming from downstairs. She couldn't tell what was being said, but she recognized the voice.

"Dr. Reid!" She said frantically under her breath.

"What did you say?!" The gang member snapped at her.

"Oh nothing just couldn't get this last button done." Hope said with acid in her voice.

"Well hurry up! I'm gonna go and see what all the ruckus is upstairs. I'll be back to take you down in a minute." Hope nodded and he walked out the door, leaving his jacket and knife. She sprung into action, searching the pockets until…

"Yes!" She whispered excitedly as she looked at the small but sharp pocket knife. She curled her hand around it, hoping the gang member wouldn't notice. She did it just in time. He came back through the doors, grabbed her, and lead her down to the basement. As they passed Reid she noticed he had a black eye. The gang member pushed her down, and tied her up, not even suspecting she had a knife. Then he left. Hope scooted over to her new friend. He looked dreary and very detached from reality at the moment. He didn't even seem to notice her sitting next to him.

"Dr. Reid are you okay?" She asked and gave him a sad look.

"That man…he killed my boss's wife…he nearly killed me boss." Reid said in a very far away voice.

"Hey…it's alright. I got the knife and we're going to get out of here." Hope comforted him a little, and it made him grateful to have met a good person like her in the world of ever increasing evil they lived in. "Turn around and I'll get you untied." She said and they turned back to back. Hope began to saw away at the ropes, being careful not to cut Reid. Eventually, he felt the ropes go limp, and found he could move his hands. Taking the knife from Hope, he freed her too, and they started to try and figure out a way to escape.

"Well, they all get drunk at night, and according to your watch, it's 8:00pm. So if we're careful, they won't notice us getting away." Hope said.

"But what if they catch us?" Reid asked.

"Then god help us…but we have to at least try. I didn't risk my life to steal that for nothing." She said gesturing towards the knife, which was now lying on the ground.

"Alright…lets go." Reid said, and they began to sneak up the stairs, and to freedom…hopefully.

* * *

As it turned out, luck was in their favor. Nobody was in the living room at the time, so they were able to sneak to the door pretty easily. But upon getting there, the hit a problem.

"It's locked!" Hope whispered frantically. Reid looked around, trying to figure a way out of the bad situation they were in. Then he spied it. There was a key hanging by the door to the kitchen.

"Hope, stay here I'm going to get they key that's hanging right over there. If anything happens tell them I made you leave alright?" Reid asked.

"No! I wouldn't just let you…" She began but Reid cut her off.

"Hope please!" He said. She thought a minute, then nodded, knowing she had no choice but to listen to this FBI agent. She was just scared. Over the past hours, she and Reid had formed a strong friendship, and she didn't want that to end. Also, she felt obligated to get Reid out of this place. Reid was quietly making his way over to the door, then made a terrible mistake. While reaching for the key, he bumped into a little side table and broke a vase that was sitting there. Wincing at the noise, he froze.

"Dr. Reid come back over here!" Hope half whispered. She heard footsteps and knew what was coming. He did as she said, and they both stared at the door, watching the man in the mask emerge from it, along with the gangsters.

"So you thought you could simply get away huh?" Foyet's son asked. Nobody answered so he continued. "Well lets just see how well that works out. Just then he pulled out a gun, and aimed it at Reid. A gunshot rang out, and before Reid knew what happened, hope was in front of him, shielding him from the bullet. She fell to the floor.

"Hope!" Reid yelled. He didn't hear it at the time, but there were sirens in the background.

"That little bitch deserved what she got!" Foyet's son yelled and pointed the gun at Reid. Just then, the door of the house came crashing in, and the whole BAU field team rushed in front of Reid and Hope. Knowing that it was all going to be alright now, Reid dropped to his knees by Hope while Foyet's son and the gang members were cuffed and led out. Hotch had called a medic, but she was bleeding out, and appeared to be slipping away fast.

"Hope talk to me." Reid said and put her head in his lap while holding her hand.

"Dr. Reid…I'm happy I could help you…help you get out….of this place." She said slowly. Reid teared up.

"You're going to be okay Hope. Just stay awake." Reid croaked, his throat growing tight.

"I-I don't thing I c-can…" She said, trailing off a little at the end.

"Please Hope!" Reid said, letting the tears roll freely down his face. She shook her head.

"C-could you s-stay with me?" She asked. Reid remember asking Hotch the same question and realized how close she must have felt to him.

"Anything Hope…" He said and rubbed her forehead as she slowly stopped breathing, and her eyes stared unseeing where she'd been looking before passing. Reid closed her eyes, sat her head down gently, and let go of her hand. Standing up, he realized his pants had her blood on them and sighed. Then he saw Hotch standing, watching him. Not wanting to loose it in front of the man he looked up to again, he just stared at the medics s they put Hope on gurney and covered her face up, then wheeled her out. Hotch walked over to Reid, and just stood silent. It was Reid who spoke first.

"That was Foyet's son." He said.

"I know. And it hurts me to think he would kidnap you to get to me." Hotch said.

"At least it wasn't Jack." Said Reid, looking at his boss. Hotch could tell the young man before him was broken and sad. He wanted to do something to help.

"It wasn't your fault Reid." He said.

"She was trying to protect me and died for it. Hotch she had been through too much to die that way. She was only fourteen." Reid explained and started to loose it a bit. But he wasn't going to let Hotch see, so he just walked out the door to an ambulance, and let them take him to the hospital.

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**So there you have it. I know the end was very sad. I even cried writing it! But I wiuld love to hear what you thought about the chapter in general. Did ya'll like my little twist with Foyet's son? R&R please!**

**PS- The next chapter will be the finale. Just because the y caught their guy. I was going to make this the end but realized it was far too terrible an ending to leave you all with. Stay tuned!**


	8. Invisable Memories

**Well *sniffle sniffle* this is the end. Thank you all for following and reviewing. I hope I have made a good impression with this being my first fanfiction and all. So please read and know that I love you all :') ENJOY for the last time in this story**

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A month or so later

Reid sat at his desk, reading the case file and wishing his life hadn't fallen apart like it did after his ordeal with Foyet's son…and after Hope died. He had wanted so badly to get her out of that terrible place and back to her family. And what had happened? She had died protecting him! He'd gone back home with Hotch and healed for the most part…but the scar that stretched across his middle would never go away…and neither would the scar on his broken heart. Hope had become a good friend in the short time he knew her and now…he couldn't believe she was gone. JJ strolled by and stopped, looking concerned and glancing at Hotch for help. She was very worried about Reid but wasn't willing to be the one to talk to him after his tragic ordeal. He'd been like this ever since that terrible night…and she didn't like it. Hotch nodded, letting her know he'd talk to Reid, and she nodded back, then continued to her office. Hotch made his way over to the young genius's desk and attempted to give a fatherly talk.

"Reid? You know we're here for you. We have all had some experiences like yours and we just want to help." He said and hoped it would work.

"I know and I appreciate it but…how did you get over loosing Haley…how did Morgan get over loosing his dad…is there really such a thing as 'getting over it'?" Reid asked. Hotch had to think a minute or two before answering that one.

"No not really, but I think that in time, you come to realize that they aren't really gone. Depending on what you believe, they're always watching over you and you'll get to see them someday." Hotch explained it as best he could and as soon as he saw a smile cross Reid's face he knew he had succeeded in his little father son talk with Reid.

"Thanks Hotch…I'll keep that in mind." Reid said. Hotch nodded and noticed Reid's thinking look come upon his face along with the smile.

"Is there something else?" He asked

"Oh no…I just…can I have the rest of the day off?" Reid asked.

"Sure but why?" Hotch answered and asked a question at the same time, wondering what Reid was up to.

"Nothing really I just need to go see somebody." Reid said. Hotch knew then what he meant and nodded. Reid was out the door in a flash, heading towards a place he should've gone when all of this began.

* * *

Reid knocked on the door of Hope's parent's house. They had been informed of their daughter's death and seemed to have taken it really hard. Her father came to the door and looked at Reid. They had met once before but it was a short meeting.

"Dr Reid! What can we do for you?" He asked with a smile on his face as his wife came up beside him. They had great respect for the young man who had tried so desperately to save their daughter, and felt he was their own son in some ways.

"I came to speak with you…my boss told me something that…depending on what your families beliefs are…might help with the healing process a little. He said that no matter what…even if you can't bring her back, you know that she's there watching you. And that you will see her again. My added part is that she's already here…with you…you can't see her…but she is. I brought you this." Reid said as he finished his speech and pulled out a little gold necklace from his pocket and handed it to Hope's crying mother.

"This is hers." Her father said.

"Yes…she had it in her hand when she died…I thought you might want it back after all these years." Reid said. Then, before he even knew what was happening, he was wrapped In a hug by both Hope's parents.

"You're right Dr. Reid. She is here…in so many ways." Her father said and they all broke from the hug.

"Which is why we don't need this…I would like you to have it…to remember her." Her mother said and handed Reid back the necklace.

"Thank you so much…" Reid said and felt he might cry at any moment so he smiled at the couple, then turned around to leave. He knew now that life could throw it's worse at you, and it could kick you around, but that you always had to get back up and keep going. Because even one moment of life was too precious to spend worrying, than to spend with the ones you love.

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(Just a song I thought fit for the end of the story)

"Life is a bright, long star boulevard,  
Where you get good, when you work hard.

But Life is not a fantasy,  
or just a love that's shared between thee'  
It's a battlefield of broken goals,  
A purple sky with empty souls.  
The city streets with littered trash,  
the wild fire left with ash.

Falling, hurting,  
crying, blurting,  
fearing, slipping,  
failing, tripping.  
Lies from fakers,  
burning heart breakers.  
Those knocking you down,  
smiling when you frown.

But others tell you keep on going,  
you try so hard though your steps are slowing.  
You can't see the future or get a head start,  
So getting back up is the hardest part"

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**Alright so there you have it. Was that last chapter a good closer. I mean, did it give off a "finished" vibe? I would love to hear from you! R&R and look out for my other fanfiction! Bye now! :D**


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